Federal workers should never be used as bargaining chips. But now, even their right to be paid after a shutdown is under threat.

A newly surfaced memo from the White House suggests that furloughed federal employees may not be entitled to back pay once the government reopens. This goes directly against what millions of workers — and the public — were promised under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, which guarantees pay for all federal employees, whether furloughed or essential, after a shutdown ends.

This isn’t just a technicality. It’s a potential betrayal of the people who inspect our food, staff our national parks, guard our prisons, process Social Security claims, and keep our skies safe.

These are the same workers who have already gone weeks without pay. Now they’re being told they might never see a dime of what they’re owed — all because of a dubious legal loophole tied to vague language in the budget law.

We, the undersigned, demand that Congress immediately pass emergency language in the next funding bill to:

• Explicitly reaffirm that all furloughed federal workers are guaranteed back pay
• Close the loophole that could allow any administration to reinterpret the 2019 law
• Protect workers from future shutdown-related uncertainty and financial hardship
   

This is not about party politics. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have said publicly that workers should be paid — now it’s time to put that commitment into writing.

Let’s be clear: when Congress fails to do its job, federal workers shouldn’t lose their paychecks. And they certainly shouldn’t lose promised back pay due to word games or political pressure tactics.

These workers serve the public. They deserve legal clarity, economic stability, and basic respect.